Tank cleaning apparatus



June 14, 1966 M. A. SAAD 3,255,970

TANK CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ICHEL A. SAAD 2 36 BY FIG. I wwwfl7 June 14, 1966 M. A. SAAD 3,255,970

TANK CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I no llb u 3 20 21b Bic 29b E 5 29 0: E IT 1: 3| l5 r I I 25 H INVENTOR IIL l 7 MICHEL A. SAAD 3a 29 3 BY 3,255,970 Patented June 14, 1966 ice 3,255,970 TANK CLEANEN G APPARATUS Michel A. Saad, 2676 Newhall St, Apt. 31, Santa Clara, Calif. Filed June 11, 1964, Ser. No. 374,515 Claims. (Cl. 239-227) This invention relates to a water jet cleaning device for washing out shipping and storage tanks.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device which is provided with one or more rotatable heads from which two or more jets of cleaning solution are directed over the inside surfaces of the tank, and which head or heads are rotated by the reaction forces of the jets.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hydraulic tank cleaning device with one or more rotatable heads that are adapted to rotate about a vertical axis as well as about a horizontal axis, the bearings and seals of said head being responsive to hydraulic pressure in the device such that the bearings and seals of the device are made to function as clutches by said pressure to control the speed of rotation of the head about said axes. Y

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device which is provided with a rotatable head and a plurality of cleaning solution outlets so that the machine is completely balanced when it is hung from a hose inside of the tank during cleaning thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device with one or more novel supporting heads which are supported on a rotatable housing by means of a combination bearing and seal which is constructed so that the frictional resistance therein is proportional to the hydraulic pressure in the device whereby the speed of rotation of both the housing about its axis and the heads about their axes are substantially constant.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved hydraulic tank cleaning device with one or more rotatable heads, each provided with angularly adjustable nozzles which may be adjusted so that the speed of rotation of the heads due to the reaction forces of the jets issuing from the nozzles may be changed depending on the angle of the nozzles with respect to the plane of the rotatable heads.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device in which the nozzles may be angularly adjusted to allow for speed variation, particularly in cases where special cleaning solutions are employed in the device.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device in which smooth passageways are provided in the housing of the device for the cleaning solutions so as to improve the efliciency of the device.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device which is simple and lightweight and in which no high-speed rotating parts are employed, said device also being provided with combination bearing and seal members made of tetrafluoroethylene polymer in which the frictional resistance is proportional to the hydraulic pressure in the device so that the relatively slow speed of the moving parts which cause the cleaning solution jets to be directed over progressively different surfaces of the tank being cleaned remains relatively constant.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved water jet cleaning device with combination bearings and seals for the rotatable parts thereof made of a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene which is provided with a cross section such as to permit expansion thereof without binding so that the device may be used with hot cleaning solutions.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawing in which, briefly:

FIG. 1 is a view inside elevation of an embodiment of this invention, showing one of the jet-directing nozzles in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the flow-straightening ribs positioned 7 inside of the flow-directing pipe to which the nozzle is attached;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of an embodiment of this invention shown partially in section; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, reference numeral 16 designates a stationary cleaning fluid supply pipe or hose connection from which this water jet cleaning device is adapted to be supported. This device is provided with a coupling member 11 that is threaded on the inside thereof to the lower end of the supply pipe 10, an eye He, or loop, is formed integral with the coupling member 11 so that a suitable rope or cable may be inserted therein for raising or lowering this device, a strainer 11b is positioned inside of the coupling member 11 and may be attached thereto by welding or the like, so that the fluid passing from the supply pipe 10 into this device must first pass through the strainer 1112. When this device is used with a hose 10, an outside thread may be provided on the outside of the coupling member 11 to fit a hose coupling.

The coupling member 11 is also provided with a flange 13 which is provided with a plurality of holes for receiving the bolts 12 for attaching this flange to the bevel gears 15 and 16, each of which is provided with one more or less teeth than bevel gear 14. The bushing 17, which is threaded into the housing 21 so as to form a smooth seal therewith, is provided with a flange extending outwardly therfnom from the top thereof. This flange is positioned in the bevel gear 14, and the cone and cup bearings 18 and 19, which may be made of polymer of tetrafluoroethylene marketed under the name Teflon or the like, is positioned between the flange 20 and the bevel gear 14 so that it functions both as a bearing and as a seal. This bearing and seal is constructed so that the frictional resistance therein when the bushing 17 and housing 21 are rotated with respect to the coupling 11 and pipe 10 is proportional to the hydraulic pressure in the device, since the force on the bearing members 18 and 19 is proportional to this pressure.

The housing 21 is provided with a passageway of T shape having two outlets for the cleaning solution. Only one of these passageways is shown in FIG. 3, since a portion of the housing has been broken away in this view. However, these passageways are both the same, and they are both provided with a bushing such as the bushing or sleeve 22, which is provided for supporting one of the heads 23 on the housing. A similar bushing is provided for supporting the other nozzle head on the other side of the housing. On the other hand, only one passageway of L-shape may be provided if it is desired to make a device with only two nozzles. All passageways through the housing and nozzle heads may be Coated with suitable corrosion-resisting material.

The nozzle head 23 is provided with a flange 24 that is integral therwith and which is provided with a plurality of holes for receiving the bolts 25 that are provided for attaching the flange 24 to bevel gear 16. A similar arrangement is provided for attaching the other nozzle head to bevel gear 15 on the other side of the device (not shown). A combination bearing and seal employing cone and cup members 27 and 28 is positioned between the flange 26 and the bevel gear 16, which is positioned on the bushing 22. The members 27 and 28 are also of Teflon. The combination bearings and seals 18-19 and 2728 of this device may be made with these members integral instead of two pieces, as shown.

The nozzle-supporting head 23 is provided with smooth internal passageways therethrough leading in opposite directions to the nozzle elbows 29 and 30 attached thereto by the clamping nuts 31 and 32, respectively. The clamping nuts 31 and 32 are similar, and each is provided with an inwardly-extending flange, such as the flange 31a of nut 31, which engages the flange 29a of the nozzle elbow 29. Thus, the nut 31 clamps the nozzle elbow against the outlet end of one of the passageways in the head 23 so that the cleaning solution passes from this head into the passageway in the nozzle. A Teflon washer 29b is inserted between flange 29a and the head 23.

Each of the nozzle elbow-s 29 and 30, as well as the nozzle elbows on the other side of this device, is provided with a clamping screw such as screw 33 which is threaded into the projecting member 34, as shown on elbow 30. This screw is adapted to engage the outside surface of the clamping nut 32, and when tightened against this, functions to prevent the nozzle elbow 30 from being turned under normal operating conditions, so that this nozzle elbow is held in a set position with respectto the supporting head 23. Thus, the nozzles of this device may be adjusted by rotating them to predetermined positions,

and this allows speed variation in this device, as will bedescribed hereinafter. Such speed variation may be necessary for special cleaning jobs due to any variation of coeflicient of viscosity of the cleaning solution used affecting the coefficient of friction in the bearing seals 18-19 and 27-28.

The nozzle elbows 29 and 30, positioned on one side of this apparatus, and the nozzle elbows 35 and 36, positioned on the other side, are provided with detachable nozzles 37-40, respectively. These nozzles are provided with threaded portions for attachment thereof to the respective nozzle elbows as shown in the cross section of nozzle 38. The inner portions of the nozzle elbows 29, 30, 35 and 36 are provided with internal longitudinally-extending ribs, such as the ribs 41 in nozzle elbow 38, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The bevel gears 14, 15 and 16 are enclosed by housing portions 21a that are cast integral with the housing 21 and the sheet metal cover 21b, which is attached to the housing by the screws 21c prior to assembly of the nozzle heads with the housing.

In operation of this device the cleaning fluid is supplied to the housing 21 through the hose or pipe under suflicient pressure so that jets of the cleaning fluid leave the nozzles 3740 and strike the inner surfaces of the tank being cleaned with sufficient momentum to clean such surfaces. The reaction forces produced by the cleaning solution jets leaving the nozzles are such as to cause rotation of the nozzle heads so that the cleaning solution jets are directed in different directions, and at the same time, rotate the bevel gears and 16. Since these bevel gears mesh with bevel gear 14, which is fixedly attached to the supporting member 11 and pipe 10, the housing .21 is caused to rotate around a vertical axis. The gears 15 and 16 have the same number of teeth; however, they have a different number of teeth from gear 14 so that during each succeeding revolution of the nozzle heads around a horizontal axis, the cleaning solution jets are directed to slightly displaced areas of the tank surface, and after a period of operation, the entire inner surface of the tank is impinged by the cleaning solution jets.

The packing members 18-i19 and 27-28 function as combined bearings and seals. These combination bearings and seals are subjected to the hydraulic pressure inside of this device, and as a result, the frictional resistance therein to rotation of this apparatus about the horizontal axis and the vertical axis is proportional to the hydraulic pressure. Thus, these combination bearing and seal arrangements function to maintain the speed of rotation about these axes substantially constant. These rotations are relatively slow, being only a few revolutions per minute and, therefore, the Teflon bearings sufler very little, if any, wear, and no lubrication is necessary, since this material is self-lubricating.

The combined bearings and seals 18-19 and 2748 each may be made with cross-sectional shapes such as to provide space for expansion thereof when hot cleaning solutions are used in this device. Teflon has a relatively large thermal expansion coefficient and therefore I these bearing and seal members must be provided with suitable grooves, rounded edges or other spaces into which the plastic material may expand to prevent binding thereof with rise in temperature.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for washing the interior surfaces of tanks comprising the combination of a housing, a fluid supply member, said housing having a fluid passageway therethrough, means for supporting said housing on said fluid supply member so that the cleaning fluid passes from said supply pipe into said passageway of said housing, a nozzle-supporting head having nozzles directed in different directions, means for adjustably attaching said nozzles to said head, said nozzle-supporting head having a fluid-directing passageway therethrough, means for rotatably supporting said nozzle-supporting head .on said housing so that the fluid-directing passageway through said head is aligned with the passageway through said housing, said housing-supporting means and said headsupporting means each including a bevel gear, said bevel gears being in meshing engagement, and each of said supporting means including pressure-responsive bearing and sealing means responsive to hydraulic pressure in said housing to maintain the speed of rotation of said housing with respect to said fluid supply member and said head with respect to said housing substantially constant.

2. Apparatus for washing the interior surfaces of tanks comprising the combination of a housing, a fluid supply member, said housing having a fluid passageway therethrough, said passageway having two substantially diametrically opposed outlets, means for supporting said housing on said fluid supply pipe so that the cleaning fluid passes from said supply pipe into said passageway of said housing, a nozzle-supporting head attached to each of said outlets, each head having nozzles directed in different directions, means for adjustably attaching said nozzles to each head, each said head having a fluiddirecting passageway therethrough, means for rotatably supporting each head on said housing so that the fluiddirecting passageway therethrough is aligned with the passageway through said housing, said housing-supporting means and said head-supporting means each including a bevel gear, said bevel gears being in meshing engagement, and each of said supporting means including pressure-responsive bearing and sealing means responsive to hydraulic pressure in said housing to maintain the speed of rotation of said housing with respect to said fluid supply member and said head with respect to said housing substantially constant.

t and the outer side of the bevel gear which is attached to said fluid supply member, and another of said bearing and sealing means being positioned between the inner side of the outlet bushing flange and the bevel gear associated with said head, whereby said bearing and sealing means are responsive to the hydraulic pressure supplied to said housing through said supply member.

4. Apparatus for washing the interior surfaces of tanks as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said bearing members are cone and cup members made of wear-resistant self-lubricating plastic.

5. Apparatus for washing the interior surfaces of tanks as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that each of the nozzles is supported on the respective head by an elbow which is clamped by a nut to the respective head, each elbow having a screw threaded thereto for engaging the clamping nut thereof to permit angular adjustment of the nozzle to control the speed of the nozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 144,696 11/1873 Orr 239-227 785,871 3/1905 Glazier 239-253 1,409,552 3/1922 Kingsbury et a1. 308-160 1,657,990 1/1928 Blouin 239-227 1,884,041 10/1932 Marley 239-252 2,030,194 2/1936 Bell 239-252 2,714,080 7/1955 Kennedy 239-227 2,766,06-5 10/1956 Joyslen 239-227 2,784,034 3/1957 Metcalf 239-227 2,85 3,342 9/1958 Kachergis 239-252 2,865,672 12/1958 Guinard 239-252 2,992,781 7/1961 Howard 239-261 3,073,352 1/1963 Bay 239-602 3,117,584 1/ 1964 Elenbaas 239-250 3,121,536 2/1964 McKibben 239-253 3,140,828 7/1964 Galanor 239-227 FOREIGN PATENTS 946,787 1/1964 Great Britain.

M. H-ENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner.

D. L. MOSELEY, V. C. WILKS, Assistant Examiners. 

2. APPARATUS FOR WASHING THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF TANKS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A HOUSING, A FLUID SUPPLY MEMBER, SAID HOUSING HAVING A FLUID PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH, SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED OUTLETS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HOUSING ON SAID FLUID SUPPLY PIPE SO THAT THE CLEANING FLUID PASSES FROM SAID SUPPLY PIPE INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY OF SAID HOUSING, A NOZZLE-SUPPORTING HEAD ATTACHED TO EACH OF SAID OUTLETS, EACH HEAD HAVING NOZZLES DIRECTED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY ATTACHING SAID NOZZLES TO EACH HEAD, EACH SAID HEAD HAVING A FLUIDDIRECTING PASSAGESWAY THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING EACH HEAD ON SAID HOUSING SO THAT THE FLUID- 